"Scientists backed by a $15 million industry-funded research project are picking apart -- and trying to disprove -- a series of studies that found coalfield residents near mountaintop-removal mining operations face greater risks of serious illness and premature death."

"Sifting through old Washington County court records, or reviewing old recipes and remedies, can help researchers find the key information they need about Appalachian culture. These bits of information, including local railroad records, music and folk tale recordings, plus a complete East Tennessee State University archive, can all be found in the Sherrod Library on campus."

"East Tennessee State University’s Reece Museum is presenting “Vanishing Appalachia,” a traveling exhibit from the East Tennessee Historical Society. The exhibit is based on years of research among moonshiners, serpent-handlers, Mennonite farmers, cockfighters and others who still engage in traditional mountain practices."

"The Appalachian Mountain region, an area that includes West Virginia and parts of 12 other states from New York to Mississippi, is known for its distinctive cultural, musical, ethnic and religious traditions, as well as for its abundance of coal resources and elevated poverty rates."